Doug is an awkward Florida drug addict. Divorced and alone, he shares custody of his young daughter with his ex. Doug’s reeling from losing his job at a local strip club, where he takes care of the fish in the aquarium. Things are beyond bleak — so Doug zips his boat out into the Gulf to end the pain of his reality. But at his lowest point, he discovers an injured Mermaid creature clinging to life. For Doug, it’s a sign from the Universe – so he brings her home, gives her shelter in his tub and begins to nurse her back to health. He even names her Destiny. As their rapport blossoms, word of his secret gets out and he is forced to protect his new friend by any means necessary.

For in-depth thoughts on Mermaid, please see my colleague Phil Walsh’s review from its theatrical debut here.

Video Quality

Mermaid comes to Blu-Ray in a 1080p presentation that honors the look of the film without issue. The presentation showcases a vibrant, sun-baked world with a fine sense of color saturation and some dynamism in the lighting, clothing, and other design elements. The transfer handles every unique environment with the appropriate amount of consideration, and most backdrops appear quite impressive. The transfer reveals texture within the clothing, production design, and outstanding makeup effects that adds significant depth and complexity to the picture. Skin tones are detailed and natural across the ensemble. Highlights are handled well with no signs of blooming, and the blacks are deep and do not falter with any crush or compression artifacts. Utopia has done a first-rate job with this release.

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray disc comes with a stellar DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track that handles everything that is thrown at it with ease. Dialogue comes through crisp and clear without ever being overshadowed by competing sounds. Environmental flourishes, such as the waves of the ocean, flesh out the soundscape to make the world feel more lived-in. The film uses music to set the tone as it saturates the room with a confident soundscape. The soundtrack adds some noteworthy texture to the low end at points. Sounds are positioned perfectly in the mix so nothing emerges from unnatural points. This is a fantastic release all around. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided.

Special Features

Audio Commentary: Writer/director Tyler Cornack and star Johnny Pemberton provide an informative and entertaining commentary track that delivers plenty of production details about the locations, the production design, the performers, the makeup effects, and much more.

Behind the Scenes Photo Gallery

Theatrical Trailer (1:36)

Final Thoughts

Mermaid is a wonderfully weird hybrid of stoner comedy and creature feature that has a surprising amount of heart beneath its scuzzy Florida facade. These characters are flawed outsiders, but you still find yourself rooting for them until the end. The movie earns major points for the incredible design of the titular creature, which eschews your normal, idealized version. Not all of the comedy beats work, and some of the characters can be a bit surface level, but it largely succeeds in being a singularly engaging experience. Utopia has released a Blu-Ray featuring a great A/V presentation and a couple of cool special features. Recommended

Mermaid is currently available to purchase on Standard Edition Blu-Ray or with a Limited Edition Slipcover exclusively through Vinegar Syndrome/OCN Distribution.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Utopia & OCN Distribution have supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.